Buffer Zone Research Articles

Seroprevalence of PPR in Goats of Buffer Zone of Chitwan National Park

A study conducted from September to December 2019 aimed to assess the seroprevalence of Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) in goats residing in the buffer zone of Chitwan National Park. A total of 221 serum samples were collected from unvaccinated goat flocks across the buffer zone regions (48 from Bhojad, 64 from Bhandara, 66 from Padampur, 25 from Gondrang, and 18 from Kathar) using random sampling techniques. Competitive Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) was employed to detect antibodies against the PPR virus (PPRV). The study revealed an overall seroprevalence rate of 28.96%. The highest seroprevalence rate of 39.58% was observed in goats from Bhojad, while the lowest rate of 15.63% was found in goats from Bhandara. The findings emphasize the need for regular vaccination of small ruminants in Bhojad, Padampur, and Kathar to enhance immunity and prevent PPR infection. Additionally, such measures can help mitigate the transmission of PPR between goats and wild animals as they share common grazing lands.

The impact of the urban landscape on PM2.5 from LCZ perspective: A case study of Shenyang

Based on the World City Database Access Portal tool (WUDAPT), the local Climate zoning (LCZ) classification of Shenyang(China) was carried out. With 8 environmental monitoring stations at the observation of the study area, LCZ landscape categories in the buffer zone of 500 m, 1000 m, and 3000 m were analyzed using ArcMap and Fragstats. The sensitivity analysis of the landscape category index correlated with PM2.5 was conducted to select the representativeness index. Matlab was used to construct the regression equation between the LCZ categories and PM2.5. The results show that AI_500, LSI_500, PD_500, LSI_1000, AI_1000, LSI_3000, and AI_3000 can be used as representative landscape indices to represent the aggregation and diversity of LCZ categories. The regression equations for PM2.5 in all four seasons include factors influencing the LCZ category landscape. This study analyzed the relationship between PM2.5 distribution and urban patterns from the perspective of the LCZ types. It provided the scientific reference for rational planning of urban layout and coordination of environment and urban development.

The green conundrum: Navigating the paradox of buffer farmlands of a mangrove forest landscape

Farmlands, positioned at the interface of mangrove forestlands and urban centers, serve as critical buffer zones. These areas play a pivotal role in determining the ecological fate of mangrove forests, acting as a cushion against mangrove deforestation. This study aims to study the spatiotemporal data from Landsat imagery whilst considering the geo-political and scocio-economic transformations of such a buffer region adjoining the Sunderban mangrove forest to understand the surreptitious reason for such expansive nature of the farmlands. Results indicate that these buffer farmlands are in a constant tug-of-war between the urban and forest ecosystems. The built up area adjoining the cities increases at a much higher pace than the areas adjoining the forest lands. Quite contrary to the popular belief, it is seen that the majority of cropland expansion in the mangrove adjoining regions arises from the use of fallow land rather than the clearing of vegetation. The study shows that the changes need to be addressed through the government’s policies and a restructure of governance is required. In policymaking, the collaborative action of scientists, governments, and local people should be involved. The lack of sustainable development and targeted improvement can increase the threat and risk nearby the mangrove farmlands.

Fluid and Trace Element Content in Perifocal Edema in Glial Brain Tumors

Glial brain tumors are the most common brain tumors, and they are also in most cases malignant. Glial tumors in pathogenesis create an extensive pronounced zone of perifocal edema. The more malignant the glial tumor, the more pronounced the perifocal edema. According to the Monroe-Kelly doctrine, the equilibria of the three components must be observed in the skull, this position is disturbed in tumor diseases and neurological symptoms occur. The more malignant the tumor, the more pronounced the zone of perifocal edema. The severity of the clinical picture depends on the severity of perifocal edema. A small tumor node creates an extensive zone of perifocal edema, which in turn creates intracranial hypertension and dislocation syndrome that threaten the patient's life. An increase in intracranial hypertension leads to a violation of cerebral blood flow, this aggravates the increase in edema, edema, in turn, enhances the dislocation of brain structures, the dislocation of brain structures aggravates the severity of the patient's condition. Thus, a pathological closed circle is created, in which perifocal edema plays a major role. Perifocal edema in the acute period of the development of the disease is a buffer zone for healthy brain tissue, but subsequently serves as a beggar for migrating tumor cells, creating conditions for tumor recurrence in the near future.

Program context-assisted address translation for high-capacity SSDs

As the capacity of NAND flash-based SSDs keeps increasing, it becomes crucial to design a memory-efficient address translation algorithm that offers high performance when a translation table cannot be entirely loaded in a controller DRAM. Existing flash translation layers (FTL) employ demand-based address translation which caches popular mapping information in DRAM by leveraging locality of I/O references. Owing to the lack of information about detailed behaviors of applications, however, existing demand-based FTLs often suffer from many translation-table misses and thus result in sub-optimal performance. In this paper, we propose a new Program context-AssisteDFlash Translation Layer, called PADFTL. Unlike existing FTLs which are implemented as the form of firmware, PADFTL is vertically integrated with a host-level I/O classifier which provides useful hints for an FTL in an SSD to make a better decision in managing a translation table. The host-level I/O classifier monitors unique behaviors of applications by analyzing their program contexts and categorizes I/O patterns into four types, (1) Loop, (2) Hot, (3) Sequential, and (4) Random, which are then delivered to an SSD through extended interfaces. The SSD-side module of PADFTL partitions a controller DRAM into four zones and isolates mapping information associated with different I/O patterns into separate zones. By employing cache management strategies optimized for individual zones, PADFTL can lower the overall translation-table miss ratio. To evaluate the effectiveness of PADFTL, we implement the host-level classifier in the Linux kernel and PADFTL’s FTL in a trace-driven FTL simulator. In our experimental results, compared to the state-of-the-art FTL, PADFTL increases the overall table hit ratio by 16% while reducing the address translation time by up to 20% on average.

Strategies for falcata (Falcataria falcata (L.) Greuter and R.Rankin) farmers to mitigate gall rust severity across elevations

The extent of gall rust severity in Falcata plantations across various elevations and locations in the country is insufficiently documented, posing challenges for developing an integrated disease management strategy. This study aimed to assess the conditions favorable for gall rust severity in Falcata plantations at different elevations in Mindanao. Our survey revealed that gall rust severity is significantly higher at elevations exceeding 400 m above sea level (asl), with potential yield losses estimated between 23% and 52% of the total log volume per hectare. Factors contributing to increased severity, regardless of elevation, include low stand density (<1000 trees/ha), extended distances from natural vegetation (>1000 m), low understorey species diversity, and low average temperatures (<24°C). These factors interact significantly with elevation, as higher severity was observed in plantations with greater understorey vegetation diversity and elevated temperatures (>24°C), particularly at elevations over 600 m (asl). Based on our findings, it is recommended to avoid planting Falcata in areas with elevations exceeding 400 m (asl). However, if planting at higher elevations is unavoidable, adequate tree spacing (3 m x 3 m or 3 m x 4 m) should be maintained to achieve a moderate stand density (1000-1500 trees/ha). This practice can help regulate air circulation within the plantation, mitigate pathogen spread, and control understory vegetation growth and temperature impacts. Additionally, establishing and maintaining native vegetation or forest within 1000 m around Falcata plantations is advisable to create a protective buffer zone, thereby reducing gall rust severity.

Dependence of Pinus sylvestris (Pinaceae) Radial Growth on Meteorological Conditions and Anthropogenic Air Pollution: Data from Northwestern Part of Murmansk Oblast.

The influence of meteorological factors and anthropogenic air pollution on the radial growth of the Scots pine Pinus sylvestris L. was studied as dependent on the distance from the Pechenganickel mining and metallurgical plant (Nikel, Murmansk region). Three (control, buffer, and impact) zones of the pollution gradient were identified based on the contents of main polluting elements (S, Ni, and Cu) in the forest litter. Asignificant weakening of pine stands was observed in the impact zone and attributed to the combined effect of long-term anthropogenic pollution of the 1970s and unfavorable weather events of the mid-1980s. As the emission decreased from 1988 to 2018, the radial increment of P. sylvestris was observed to increase significantly (by up to 44%) in the impact zone and to remain much the same in the control and buffer zones. More recently, the radial increment of trees in the impact zone reached and even exceeded the values observed in the control zone, although the trees examined were relatively old. The finding demonstrated again the high adaptive capacity of P. sylvestris.

Assessment of Land Capability and Zoning for Sustainable Urban Development in Ambon City

The optimization strategy replaces ability-useful land with conservation-source power land, which may help with problem degradation. Investigate this to determine the level of land ability and the function area designation for good protection and cultivation in the Satuan Wilayah Pengembangan (SWP). The research method is descriptive and quantitative, with stepwise data collection and processing. Data collection is carried out through studies and literature from several agencies. Temporary spatial data analysis was conducted using Geographic Information System (GIS) software. The research findings underscore a significant aspect regarding land analysis, specifically about allocating areas for settlement purposes. The documented 3687.35 hectares identified as suitable for settlement development, alongside the approximately 11755.27 hectares allocated as buffer zones, highlight a limited portion of land deemed suitable for urban expansion within the studied region. This observation underscores the challenge of finding suitable and adequate spaces for urban development initiatives in Ambon City. Identifying such a confined area underscores the need for strategic urban planning that considers land constraints, such as the predominantly hilly terrain, to ensure balanced development, efficient land use, and the preservation of environmental integrity. Efforts toward optimizing these available areas for urban growth while concurrently focusing on conservation and ecological sustainability become imperative for Ambon City's future urban development trajectory. They created a barrier to physical land where hilly areas dominate the characteristics of the Ambon City area

Identifying factors influencing reservoir eutrophication using interpretable machine learning combined with shoreline morphology and landscape hydrological features: A case study of Danjiangkou Reservoir, China

Reservoir nearshore areas are influenced by both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, making them sensitive regions to water quality changes. The analysis of basin landscape hydrological features provides limited insight into the spatial heterogeneity of eutrophication in these areas. The complex characteristics of shoreline morphology and their impact on eutrophication are often overlooked. To comprehensively analyze the complex relationships between shoreline morphology and landscape hydrological features, with eutrophication, this study uses Danjiangkou Reservoir as a case study. Utilizing Landsat 8 OLI remote sensing data from 2013 to 2022, combined with a semi-analytical approach, the spatial distribution of the Trophic State Index (TSI) during flood discharge periods (FDPs) and water storage periods (WSPs) was obtained. Using Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) and SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP), explained the relationships between landscape composition, landscape configuration, hydrological topography, shoreline morphology, and TSI, identified key factors at different spatial scales and validated their reliability. The results showed that: (1) There is significant spatial heterogeneity in the TSI distribution of Danjiangkou Reservoir. The eutrophication levels are significant in the shoreline and bay areas, with a tendency to extend inward only during the WSPs. (2) The importance of landscape composition, landscape configuration, hydrological topography, and shoreline morphology to TSI variations during the FDPs are 25.12 %, 29.6 %, 23.09 %, and 22.19 % respectively. Besides shoreline distance, the Landscape Shape Index (LSI) and Hypsometric Integral (HI) are the two most significant environmental variables overall during the FDPs. Forest and grassland areas become the most influential factors during the WSPs. The influence of landscape patterns and hydrological topography on TSI varies at different spatial scales. At the 200 m riparian buffer zone, the increase in cropland and impervious areas significantly elevates eutrophication levels. (3) Morphology complexity, shows a noticeable threshold effect on TSI, with complex shoreline morphology increasing the risk of eutrophication.

Spatial distribution of residential environment, genetic susceptibility, and psoriasis: A prospective cohort study.

Genetic and environmental factors contribute to psoriasis, but the impact of residential environments on this condition remains uncertain. We aimed to investigate the association of residential environments with psoriasis risk and explore its interaction with genes. We retrieved data on the spatial distribution of residential environments at 300 and 1000 m buffer zones from the UK Biobank, including the proportions of natural environments, domestic gardens, green spaces, and blue spaces within these zones. We then used Cox hazard models to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the associations between residential environments and psoriasis risk. Lastly, we constructed polygenic risk scores to determine genetic susceptibility and further analyse the interaction with residential environments. Overall, 3755 incident cases of psoriasis were documented during a median follow-up of 12.45 years. Compared with the lowest exposure quantile (Q1), Q4 exposure to natural environments (1000 m buffer: HR = 1.16, 95% CI = 1.05-1.29; 300 m buffer: HR = 1.12, 95% CI = 1.02-1.24) and green spaces (1000 m buffer: HR = 1.16, 95% CI = 1.04-1.28; 300m buffer: HR = 1.10, 95% CI = 1.00-1.21) increased the risk of psoriasis, while Q4 exposure to domestic gardens (1000 m buffer: HR = 0.85, 95% CI = 0.77-0.93; 300m buffer: HR = 0.91, 95% CI = 0.83-1.00) and Q3 exposure to blue spaces (1000 m buffer: HR = 0.89, 95% CI = 0.81-0.98) were negatively associated with psoriasis risk. Among participants with a high genetic risk, those exposed to high levels of natural environments (1000 m buffer: HR = 1.49, 95% CI = 1.15-1.93; 300 m buffer: HR = 1.39, 95% CI = 1.10-1.77) and green spaces (300 m buffer: HR = 1.30, 95% CI = 1.04-1.64) had a higher risk of psoriasis, while those exposed to blue spaces (1000 m buffer: HR = 0.78, 95% CI = 0.63-0.98) had a lower risk of psoriasis. We also observed joint effects of genetic risk and residential environments and an antagonistic additive interaction between blue spaces and genetic risk (P = 0.011). We observed that residing in natural environments and green areas increased the risk of psoriasis in our sample, while proximity to blue spaces and domestic gardens was associated to reduced risks. The association of residential environments with psoriasis risk was modified by genetic susceptibility.

Eco-Theological Implications of Psalms 8 in The Context of Biodiversity Preservation and Field Hunting in Osun Groove

One of the prominent natural ecosystems in Nigeria that has attracted global attention with rich cultural, social, economical, political and religious relevance is Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove. In spite of the rising global scholarly attention on eco-theology and biodiversity, there is still inadequate scientific research on eco-theological implications on Osun-Osogbo grove and biodiversity preservation in the light of Psalms 8. Thus, this study aims at assessing the implication of eco-theological implications of Psalms 8 in the context of biodiversity preservation and field hunting in Osun-Osogbo grove, Osogbo, Osun State. The study employed historical and exegetical analyses using secondary sources of data. The pioneering work of Jürgen Moltmann serves as the theoretical basis of the study. The grove is regarded as the abode of the goddess of fertility, Osun, one of the pantheon of the Yoruba gods, the landscape of the grove and its meandering river is dotted with sanctuaries and shrines, sculptures and art works in honor of Osun and other deities. Osun-Osogbo Festival has attracted a lot of tourists to the grove contributing to the economic growth of the state. Plant, trees and animal species are gradually decreasing; thus, some flora and fauna are endangered. In the context of Psalms 8, biodiversity preservation needs to be enabled as it was observed that encroachment into the grove from the buffer zone as well as uncurbed daily activities along the road are beginning to have negative effect on the rich ecotourism potentials that are being conserved. Conclusively, the grove remains an integral part of the cosmological system needed to be governed by man and not man be governed by it.

Combining ecosystem service value and landscape ecological risk to subdivide the riparian buffer zone of the Weihe River in Shaanxi

Riparian buffer zones are transitional and ecological intersections between land and water. These areas play a major role in advancing ecosystem protection and restoration. Here, we investigated the spatial and temporal evolution of land use, ecosystem service value (ESV), and landscape ecological risk (LER) in riparian buffer zones between 1990 and 2020 using the Shaanxi section of the Weihe River as a case study using a GIS grid, the unit-area-equivalent-factor method, the landscape ecological risk index, and the natural breakpoint method. We also established four ecological zones using standardized Z-scores. The predominant land categories in the study area comprised cultivated, construction, and grassland, which together accounted for more than 80 % of the total area. The construction land demonstrated the most significant increase of 4,062.33 hm2 area, and cultivated land showed most significant decrease of 13,048.56 hm2 area, between 1990 and 2020. Next, study-site ESV increased from 28.30 × 108 CNY in 1990 to 28.94 × 108 CNY in 2020, reflecting 2.26 % growth. High-value areas were principally bodies of water and primarily situated along the Weihe River, extending from west to east along the main channel. The LER of the study area was dominated by the lowest ecological risk, low ecological risk, and medium ecological risk classes, which collectively accounted for more than 70 % of the total area. The main land types in the areas with high ecological risk were forest land and cultivated land. The study area’s LER demonstrated a decreasing trend from 1990 to 2020, and the area with the lowest ecological risk and low ecological risk zones increased by 9.97 %. The riparian buffer zone was divided into ecological restoration, reconstruction, conservation, and protection zones based on two factors, namely, ESV and LER. The most dominant of these was the ecological reconstruction zone, which showed a 13.75 % decrease in area share between 1990 and 2020. The ecological restoration zone occupied the smallest area with the largest increase of 56.63 % during this period. In conclusion, this study contributes to ecological zoning and management of the riparian buffer zone along the main channel of the Weihe River. Appropriate zoning is integral to protecting this valuable ecosystem and achieving sustainable development of surrounding human communities.

Impacts of buffer zone policy on household income: Evidence from Chitwan National Park, Nepal

Providing incentives to local communities to mitigate negative impacts of protected areas is an important component of conservation policy. Incentives may take various forms, including direct payments and income diversification training. For a case study of Chitwan National Park in Nepal, we evaluate the welfare effects of incentives delivered to buffer zone communities in the form of income diversification training. Evidence on the effect of such incentives on household welfare is limited. We evaluated the welfare effects in two ways. First, we measure the economic effects of living within the buffer zone, and second, we evaluate the effectiveness of two training interventions namely, income-generating training and tourism development training on increasing household income. We surveyed 728 households and used a quasi-experimental method (Propensity Score Matching). Results suggest that households living inside the buffer zone have 19 percent higher per capita household income than similar households living outside. Notably, income-generating training does not lead to an increase in household income, whereas tourism development training results in a substantial 52 percent growth. Our findings from Chitwan National Park suggest that conservation efforts do not necessarily adversely affect local communities. Interventions such as training programs can increase income, but are most effective when they allow households to take advantage of economic activities, such as tourism, linked to a protected area. This highlights the importance of crafting well-designed and targeted policy interventions that simultaneously enhance conservation goals and benefit local people.

Long-Term Landscape Changes in the Ojców National Park (Poland) and Its Surroundings: Implications for the Effectiveness of Buffer Zones

Protected areas (PAs) serve as crucial elements in biodiversity conservation but are in danger of becoming isolated islands in human-dominated landscapes. It is related to landscape changes, especially changes in land use and land cover (LULC). Over the past decades, most research on the effectiveness of nature conservation has focused mainly on PAs, while the areas surrounding PAs are of key importance for maintaining ecological connectivity and biodiversity. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to determine the long-term changes in LULC within the selected national park in Poland and its surroundings and to assess the effectiveness of the BZ based on these changes. We hypothesized that, despite restrictions within the buffer zone, land development has intensified and increased, in the nearest surroundings of the analyzed national park. For the analysis, we selected Ojców National Park (southern Poland), one of the oldest national parks in Poland. We analyzed landscape changes before (since the 1930s) and after establishing the park and its BZ. We conducted a comprehensive quantitative analysis of the landscape structure and LULC. We used historical maps and the contemporary national LULC database. Our results showed that almost 40% of the study area consisted of lands with non-persistent LULC. The main changes include a three-fold increase in built-up areas and an increase in forest cover, mainly on abandoned agricultural land. We also found that land development around the national park is at a level similar to the general rate for the area outside the BZ. It suggests the ineffectiveness of the buffer zone in preventing land development. The identified long-term landscape changes the basis for sustainable development land management from the nature conservation perspective.

Spatiotemporal changes and driving factors of ecosystem services between karst and non-karst World Heritage sites in Southwest China

Understanding the spatiotemporal variation and drivers of ecosystem services is fundamental to optimal management and sustainable development of World Heritage (WH) sites. Although WH sites face multiple natural and anthropogenic threats, our understanding of their ecosystem services is still limited, especially for karst WH sites. In this study, we assessed habitat quality (HQ), carbon storage (CS), soil retention (SR), water conservation (WC), and the combined ecosystem service (CES) of karst and non-karst WH sites in Southwest China from 2000 to 2020 using the InVEST model. We also assessed trade-offs/synergies among ecosystem services using the spatial overlay method, and identified driving factors of variation in ecosystem services using geographical detector and structural equation models. The results showed that ecosystem services of the WH sites exhibited high spatiotemporal variation. In particular, there were higher values in the property zone than in the buffer zone, and an increasing trend in SR but a decreasing trend in HQ and CES over time. Compared to non-karst sites, karst WH sites had significantly lower values of HQ, CS, SR, and CES, but higher spatial heterogeneity in CS, WC, and CES. Weak trade-offs among ecosystem services dominated the WH sites, with the proportion of weak synergies increasing over time. Compared to non-karst sites, karst WH sites had a significantly lower proportion of strong synergies and a significantly higher proportion of weak synergies. The provision of ecosystem services was primarily influenced by natural factors (e.g., landscape division index and normalized difference vegetation index), followed by anthropogenic factors (e.g., distance from road and population density). Overall, these findings may have important implications for decision-making aimed at protecting the outstanding universal value, authenticity, and integrity of WH with different attributes.

Using public perceptions to inform urban protected area buffer zone planning.

The buffer zones between urban protected areas (UPAs) and their cities play a significant role in managing and protecting UPAs. However, they are also the frontier of conflicts due to complex functionality and a large number of stakeholders. Besides ensuring the buffer zone's function of protecting the UPA, it is also vital to understand how it can fulfill the diverse needs of multiple interest groups residing in or utilizing this area. To address the significant social science research gap in UPA buffer zone management, we establish a conceptual framework and explore how the public's overall satisfaction with the buffer depends on five essential buffer zone qualities, namely environmental quality, connectivity, infrastructure, cultural, and visual quality. We focus on China's Urban Scenic and Historic Areas (USHA), a major type of UPA with high cultural, social, and esthetic values. Using the buffer of Shugang-Slender West Lake Scenic and Historic Area in Yangzhou City as the case study, we conducted intercept and online surveys (n = 499), investigating the perceptions of three user groups-residents, businesses, and tourists. The results indicate high overall satisfaction for all three groups. Environmental, visual, and cultural qualities were rated higher than connectivity and infrastructure quality. Residents generally showed the highest satisfaction and tourists the lowest. For all three groups, environmental quality, connectivity, and infrastructure quality significantly influenced overall satisfaction, while cultural and visual quality did not. This suggests that the public expects the buffer zone to serve as high-quality multi-functional open spaces that enhance the quality of life while providing recreation, service, and transportation functions. Besides direct planning and management advice to China's UPAs and other countries with similar contexts, our study offers a transferable framework for incorporating social perceptions and highlights their significance in informing the functional planning of UPA buffer zones for public welfare.

Spatial approach for agritourism landscape planning in Winongan-Gondang Wetan, Pasuruan

Abstract The Winongan and Gondang Wetan (WGW) sub-districts in the downstream area of the Rejoso watershed in Pasuruan are characterized by predominantly agricultural land. The World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) initiated a conservation program in this region called Rejoso Kita during 2016-2022. This program is designed to enhance current agricultural practices through sustainable methodologies tha effectively introduced in 12 villages. Initial outcomes indicate these villages hold potential for development into agritourism destinations, emphasizing educational, recreational, and landscape preservation components. This study aims to evaluate the area’s suitability for agritourism, focusing on sustainability through specific zoning. By applying a spatial approach with a scoring and weighting methodology, the study determined that Gading, Lebak, and Tenggilis Rejo are the villages with the highest potential for agritourism. As a result, they have been designated as primary agritourism zones. Conversely, villages with moderate to low potential will serve as supporting and buffer zones.

Historic Flood Events and Current Flood Hazard in Ulaanbaatar City, Central Mongolia

Climate change will increase the frequency of extreme weather events, alter rainfall patterns, and exacerbate flood disasters in Ulaanbaatar City. Here we combine aerial and satellite imagery with cadastral data, to scrutinize the historical trajectory of rainfall patterns and flood disasters in Ulaanbaatar over the past six decades. The study focusses on the causative factors behind historical floods, current flood conditions, the geographical distribution of floods, land ownership in floodprone areas, and the spatial allocation of fences and buildings based on social conditions. Over the last 60 years, Ulaanbaatar received a total of 16,780 mm of precipitation, with a staggering 80.5% of this total occurring during the summer season. Over this period, the city has endured about ten significant flood disasters. The most severe and destructive events occurred in 1966, 1982, 1994, 2003, 2009, and 2023 as river basins and mountain flash floods. These flood events claimed at least 220 lives, affected around 46,000 households, and caused economic losses of ca. 3.3 million U.S. dollars. Our study identifies several flood hazard areas along the Tolgoit, Selbe, Uliastai, and Tuul River valleys, which define a flood buffer zone extending 200 m from their banks, encompassing 59 khoroos of 7 districts in Ulaanbaatar. There are 27,970 fences and 12,887 buildings in the 200 m buffer zone, which is 66.5% of all fence unit area, and 46.3% of the total building, situated within the identified flood risk areas. In response to these findings, we emphasize the urgent need for comprehensive long-term strategy for sustainable flood management based on disaster resilence.

Secure consensus for PDEs-based multiagent systems under DoS attacks via boundary control approach

This paper focuses on secure consensus for leader-following multiagent systems (MASs) modeled by partial differential equations (PDEs) under denial of service (DoS) attacks. To mitigate the negative effects of DoS attacks, which can paralyze communication and cause agents to fail to receive valid control inputs, a buffer region is established in the communication channels among agents to temporarily store messages from neighbors. Additionally, since the states of the leader and followers are not always measurable, observers are used to estimate these states. To address these challenges, this paper proposes two boundary controllers to ensure leader-following consensus in both measurable and unmeasurable states. One controller is based on original boundary information, while the other utilizes observation information from both the leader and followers. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first attempt to use buffers to solve a class of PDEs-based MASs under DoS attacks. Furthermore, the boundary control approach has the potential to significantly reduce the number of actuators required, thereby lowering control costs. Finally, we present two numerical examples to validate the feasibility of the proposed methods.

Challenges of Transforming Coastal Buffer Zones into Urban Systems and their Sustainable Development Management: Case of Lake Issyk-Kul

Challenges of Transforming Coastal Buffer Zones into Urban Systems and their Sustainable Development Management: Case of Lake Issyk-Kul